Article sorting apparatus



April 11, 1944. A. s. JACKSON 2,346,583

ARTICLE SORTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 11, 1941 ASxjacwnINVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 11, 1944. A. s. JACKSON 2,346,583

ARTICLE SOHTING APPARATUS Filed se i. 11, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 2ATTORNEYS April 11, 19 A. s. JACKSON ARTICLE SORTING APPARATUS FiledSept. 11, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A S Jaclcwn INVENTOR w W? I ATTORN EYSPatented 'Apr. 11, 1944 2,346,583 ARTICLE SORTING APPARATUS Albert S..Jackson, Wood River, 111., assignor to Owegs-Illinois Glass Company, acorporation of i0 7 I Application September 11, 1941, Serial No. 410,109

8 Claims.

My invention relates to apparatus for sorting articles of differentsizes or shapes. More particularly the invention provides an apparatusfor segregating and collecting in groups, articles of particular sizesor shapes from a heterogeneous collection or continuous supply of thearticles.

The invention as herein illustrated, is adapted for sorting glassarticles such as bottles, jars or the like as they are delivered from anannealing leer. It is common practice to anneal articles of severaldifferent sizes or shapes concomitantly in the same leer, so that theleer is continuously discharging a conglomeration of such heterogenerousarticles. An object of my invention is to provide apparatus for sortingthese articles as they are discharged from the leer and collecting atseparate stations all of the articles of each size or shape.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of apparatus embodying the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on a larger scale,

7 the section being taken at the line 2-4. on Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a part sectional elevation of the apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view showing one of the gates and itscontrolling and operating mechanism.

' Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram of the electrical apparatus.

The invention as herein illustrated is designed for receiving bottles,jars or other glass articles from an annealing leer and sorting themaccording to size or shape.

The apparatus as shown is adjusted for sorting bottles of differentlengths and conveying them to separate stations. The particularapparatus shown is also adjustable to enable it to be used for sortingarticles with reference to their diameters, shoulder heights or otherdimensions. It is to be understood that the invention may be adapted forsorting numerous other kinds of articles, bottles being shown by way ofexample.

Referring to Fig. 1, bottles B are shown as being discharged from a leer9 onto a belt conveyor ll mounted on a framework It. The conveyor llforms one of a group of horizontally disposed, endless conveyors ll, l2.I3, I 4, and I5 by which the bottles are transferred from the leer totables I6, [1, and I8. The conveyors are driven in the directionsindicated by the arrows. The conveyor [2 is' preferably driven at ahigher speed than the conveyor H, and the conveyor I3 at a higher speedthan the conveyor l2 to assist in arranging the bottles to travel,single file, in a predetermined path, and to maintain a suitable spacingof the bottles during their travel through the selecting zones. Thebottles are directed from the conveyor ll onto the conveyor [2 by astationary deflector bar 20 and are directed dia'gonally across theconveyor [2 by a' guide bar 2| carried on a bracket 22. A deflector bar23 carried on a bracket 24 directs the bottles across the conveyors l2and I3, the bottles traveling in a zig-zag path along the conveyors l2and I3.

' The bottles as they pass beyond the guide bar 23 are moved intocontact with agate 25 forming part of a selector device S. The gate isopened and closed automatically under the con trol of bottles of aselected height to permit them to pass through the open gate intoengagement:

with a deflector bar 26 by which the selected bottles are directed ontothe conveyor M. The

bottles which are not of a lengthto actuate the selector device S arecarried beyond the closed gate and move into engagement with a gate 21forming part of a selector device S which may be identical inconstruction and method of operation with the selector device S. Theselector S, is adjusted to select a second group of bottles of adifferent length from those selected by the device S. When the gate 21is opened, it permits the selected bottle to be carried by the conveyorl3 into engagement with a deflector bar 28 by which it is directed ontothe conveyor IS. The bottles which are carried into contact with thegate 21, but are not of a length to actuate the selector device S, areguided in a path which is beyond the range of the guide bar 28 so thatthe bottles are carried by the conveyor I3 to the table I 6.

Each gate while closed also serves as a deflector or shifting device andextends from one side or edge of the conveyor diagonally forward andinwardly over the conveyor and terminates at a point intermediate thesides of the conveyor. Each gate, except the flrst, while closed extendslaterally beyond the end of the preceding closed gate or in overlappingrelation thereto into the path of the articles released from the saidpreceding closed gate.

The means for continuouslydriving the con veyors I I, I2, and I3comprises an electric motor 30 (Fig; 4) operating through driving mech-"anism including speed reduction gearing within a gear box 3|, a drivingchain 32, and the driving roll 33 for the conveyor 13. The motor 38 alsohas driving connections with the conveyor 12 through power transmittingmechanism including gearing 34 (Fig. 1), a shaft 35, a sprocket chain36, shaft 31 and sprocket chain 38, the latter being trained over thedriving roll of the conveyor l2. The shaft 31 operates through a pair ofspur gears 39 (Fig. 4) to drive a shaft 45' in the reverse direction,said shaft 40 having driving connection through a sprocket chain 4! withthe driving roll of the conveyor ll. The'conveyor I 4 is drivenseparately from the other conveyors by an electric motor 42 (Fig. 1)operating'through speed reduction gearing in a gear box 43 anda sprocketchain 44 geared to the driving roll of the conveyor I4. The conveyor iis also independently driven in like manner by an electric motor 45.

The selector devicesis and S" will now' be; de-

scribed. Each comprises an electromagnet 4 6 having a stationarymountingon an upright is drawn upward within. its solenoid whenthelatter is energized. Operating connections between the gate and itsarmature 58 include a link 5| connecting the armature with a lug on thehub of an'arm 52 mountedto rockon a shaft 53 supported in the frame 41.The arm 52 is connected by a link 54 tothe gate 25. When the magnet isenergized, it operates through the connections just described. toretractthe gate to open position. When the magnet is ole-energized, a coilspring 55 returns. the gate to closed.- position.

The electrical circuits for the electromagnetsare-under the control ofrelays and switches mounted in switch boxes 56 and 51. The switches areactuated respectively by contact fingers 58 and 59 which are carriedonthe switch boxes and project into the path of the bottles. When avcontact finger 58 is moved upwardly by a bottle, it operates throughaplunger 60 to close its switch 56* (Fig. 6). The contact finger 59 whenmoved upwardly by the bottle, opens its switch 5! as hereinafterdescribed. The mounting for each.

switch box includes a vertical supporting rod El attached to theframework Ill by means of a. clip 6W Figs. 2, 4 and 5) which permitsvertical and rotative adjustment of the rod. The latter is provided atits upper end with asplit bearing block 62 in which is mounteda'horizontal arm 63 adjustable both lengthwise in said block androtativelyabout its own axis. Thearm 68- is clamped in its adjustedposition by a clamping bolt 64.

At the forwardend of the arm. 53a short. link 65 (Fig. 5) is mounted toswing on a pivot bolt 66. which also serves to clamp the link in anyposition of adjustment. Pivoted to the forward.

end of the link 65 by means of a clamping bolt 67 is a T-shaped arm 58which may be adjusted about the axis of the bolt 61. The switch box 5!is adjustably supported'on the arm 68 by means of a stem 69screw-threaded through the arm 68 and swiveled to the box. 51. The stem69 A horizontal guide switch box toward and from the arm 68 and isclamped in adjusted position by clamping nuts H. The switch box is heldagainst rotative movement by means of a pair of guide pins 12 which areattached to the cover plate of the switch box and are slidable up anddown in openings provided in the arm 68. It will be seen that the .link55 and arm 68 provide a universal joint connection between the arm 53and the switch box, permitting the latter to be adjusted to any angularposition. This, with the adjustability of both the arm 63 and supportingrcd 6i, both rotatively and in the direction of their length, permit thecontact finger 59 to be adjusted to any angle and any position within awide range, so that it may be actuated by the top, side, shoulder orother part of the bottle or other article.

The apparatus as shown is adjusted for selecting bottles from a supplycomprising bottles of may be rotated by a knob!!! for adjusting the?!)three different lengths and grouping them according to their length. Thebottles a of intermediate length are of a height indicated by the brokenline (Fig. 3) the bottles I) and 0 above and below this height andreferred to as tall and short bottles respectively. The tall bottles boperate the switches for opening and closing the gate 25. Theintermediate bottles a are, of a height to actuate the switches foropening and closing'the gate 21. The bottles 0 are too short to operateeither set of switches.

The electrical control system, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6, willnow be described. Electric current may be supplied through the mains 15and 16 of a circuit supplying, for example, an alternating current of 110 volts. The electromagnets 46 comprise solenoids'll and it individualto the selectors S and S respectively and are energized by currentsupplied directly from the mains. A step-down transformer 19 suppliescurrent at a comparatively low voltage for actuating the micro-switchesand relays.

When a tall bottle operates the contact arm 58, it closes a switch 55 inthe switch box 56 for selector S and establishes a circuit which may betraced from one terminal of the secondary winding of the transformerthrough conductor SI, switch 56*, conductor 82; relay magnet coil 63 andconductors B4 and 85. The coil 83 being energized, closes a contact 86and establishesa circuit for thesolenoid TI. The latter thereforeoperates to open the gate 25. The relay coil 83 when energized.also'closes a contact 81 and establishes a holding circuit for.

the switch 56, which circuit may be traced through conductor 8|, switch56*, conductor 82, contact 81, conductor 86, holding coil 89, switch 5'land conductor 85. The solenoid 11 thus remains energized and the gateheld open until the bottle operates the contact 58 and opens the switch5'! (in switch box 51). This breaks the circuit through the holding coil89, allows the switch 56 to open, thus breaking the circuit.

traveling conveyor, means for positioning. articles on the conveyor andcausing them to travel with the conveyor in a path adjacent one sidethereof,

a deflector gate extending from said side diag onally across said pathand terminating at a point intermediate the sides of the conveyor andarranged to deflect articles toward the opposite side of the conveyorand release them before they reach said opposite side, a selector devicefor selecting articles of a predetermined dimension and" actuated bysaid articles, electro-responsive means controlled by said selectordevice for moving said gate'out of the path of a selected article, per-'mitting the passage of said article, and a spring for returning the gateinto position to deflect the next succeeding article, said selectordevice including means actuated by the selected article after it haspassed beyond the gate, to release the gate to the operation of saidspring.

2. Article selecting and conveying apparatus comprising, in combination,a horizontally traveling conveyor, deflector gates positioned atdifferent points of advancement along the conveyor and arranged inalternation at opposite sides of the conveyor and each extendingdiagonally over the conveyor from one side thereof to an intermediatepoint over the conveyor, and arranged to guide articles placed on theconveyor in a zig-zag path, means for holding the gates rigidly in saidguiding position, electro-responsive devices individual to said gatesand operatively connected thereto for opening the gates, contact devicesindividual to said eleotro-responsive devices and controlling theiroperation, said contact devices being positioned to be selectivelyoperated by articles of diiferent heights whereby the gates areselectively opened for the passage of articles of specified heights andthe articles segregated into a plurality of groups in accordance withsaid heights.

3. Article selecting and conveying apparatus comprising a horizontallydisposed endless traveling conveyor, means for directing articles ontothe conveyor for travel therewith in a path extending along the conveyoradjacent one side thereof, a deflector gate extending diagonally forwardand inwardly over the conveyor with its forward end at a pointintermediate the sides of the conveyor, an electro-magnet operativelyconnected to the gate, a contact finger positioned over the path of thearticles and operative by articles of a predetermined height, meansactuated by said contact finger for closing a circuit for theelectro-magnet and thereby causing the latter to open the gate andpermit the passage of the article selected by said contact finger, meansfor automatically closing the gate after the passage of said article,and a deflector extending over the conveyor in advance of said deflectorgate, from a point intermediate the sides of the conveyor, diagonallyforward to said first mentioned side and arranged to deflect theselected articles off the conveyor while permitting the articlesdeflected b said gate to advance with the conveyor and to be carriedthereby beyond the deflector.

4. Article selecting and conveying apparatus comprising a horizontallydisposed endless traveling conveyor, means for directing articles ontothe conveyo for travel therewith in a path extending along the conveyoradjacent one side thereof, a deflector gate extending diagonally forwardand inwardly over the conveyor with its forward end at a pointintermediate the sides of the conveyor, an electro-magnet, meansoperatively connecting the electro-magnet to the gate, a contact fingerpositioned over the path of the articles and operative by articles of apredetermined height, means actuated by said contact finger for closinga circuit for the electromagnet and thereby causing the latter to openthe gate and permit the passage of an article selected by said contactfinger, a relay magnet, means actuated by the contact finger for closinga circuit for the relay magnet and causing the latter to establish aholding circuit for said electro-magnet, a second contact fingerpositioned to be actuated by the selected article after the latter haspassed the open gate, means ac-' tuated by said second contact fingerfor opening the relay circuit and de-energizing the electro-magnet, andmeans for then closing the gate.

5. Article conveying and selecting apparatus comprising a horizontallydisposed endless traveling belt conveyor, a stationary horizontaldeflector positioned over the conveyor and extending from one edgethereof diagonally forward and inwardly over the conveyor to a [pointintermediate the sides of the conveyor, a second deflector positionedover the conveyor in advance of said first mentioned deflector andextending from the opposite edge of the conveyor diagonally forward andinward over the conveyor and terminating at a point intermediate thesides of the conveyor with the deflectors in overlapping relation,whereby articles deflected by the first deflector are brought by theconveyor into contact with the second deflector, each said deflectorcomprising a gate, contact devices individual to said gates andpositioned to be operated by articles of predetermined dimensions,automatic means controlled by said contact devices for opening the gatesand thereby permitting the passage of the articles therethrough, anddischarging devices individual to said gates for discharging thearticles passing through the gates.

6. Article selecting and conveying apparatus comprising a horizontallydisposed endless traveling belt conveyor, deflector devices spaced atintervals along the conveyor and arranged alternately at opposite sidesof the conveyor, each said deflector extending diagonally forward overthe conveyor from one side thereof past the forward end of the precedingdeflector and with its forward end terminating at a point intermediatethe sides of the conveyor, whereby articles carried on the conveyor aredirected by each deflector in succession into position to be carried bythe belt into engagement with the next succeeding deflector, each saiddeflector comprising a gate, and contact devices individual to saidgates and positioned to be operated respectively by articles ofpredetermined dimensions, and automatic means cohtrolled by said contactdevices for opening the ga es.

'7. Article selecting and conveying apparatus comprising a horizontallydisposed endless traveling belt conveyor, deflector devices spaced atintervals along the conveyor and arranged alternately at opposite sidesof the conveyor, each said deflector extending diagonally forward overthe conveyor from one side thereof past the forward end of the precedingdeflector and with its forward end terminating at a point intermediatethe sides of the conveyor, whereby articles carried on the conveyor aredirected by each deflector in succession into position to be carried bythe belt into engagement with the next succeeding deflector, each saiddeflector comprising a gate, electromagnets individual to said gates,means providins: operating connections between he electroma n ts and theat s, conta t d vices po t on d. to be engaged byarticles ofpredetermined di'. mensions, and means ac at d y the ntactclevices foreffecting the operation of the electromagnets and thereby opening saidgates.

8. Article selecting and conveying apparatus comprising a horizontallydisposed endless traveling belt conveyor, deflector devices spaced atintervals along the conveyor and arranged alternately at opposite sidesof the conveyor,- each said deflector extending diagonally forward-overthe conveyor from oneside thereof past the forward end of the precedingdeflector and with its forward end terminating at a point intermediatethe, sides of the conveyor, whereby articles car- 18 gates.

4- aaeates 10 versal joint connections between the contact devices andsaid standards permitting adjustment of the contacts for selectingarticles of different dimensions, and electro-responsive meanscontrolled by said contact devices for opening the ALBERT S. JACKSON,

